Jak II
}} |- ! Publisher: | SCEA | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Released: | North America: October 14, 2003 Europe: October 17, 2003 Japan: March 11, 2004 | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Genre: | Platformer/shooter/action | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Modes: | Single player | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Ratings: | ESRB: Teen (T) PEGI: 12+ ELSPA: 11+ OFLC: G8+ USK: 6 | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Platforms: | PlayStation 2 | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Media: | DVD-ROM | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Preceded by: | Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |- ! Followed by: | Jak 3 | colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller;" | } |} Jak II (Jak II: Renegade in the UK and Australia) is the second game in the Jak and Daxter Series. This game is a little darker and more mature than the previous game. Plot At the end of the Precursor Legacy, Jak, Daxter, Samos, and Keira finished repairing the Rift Rider and Precursor Ring found in Gol and Maia's Citadel from the previous game. Jak presses a button on the Rider, and accidentally opens a Rift Gate. A swarm of flying black creatures fly out, a huge creature emerges, and the machine activates, forcing them through the Gate where the Rider explodes and the group are separated.Jak and Daxter end up in a dystopia called Haven City (later known to be in the future). Jak is immediately captured by Errol and several of the Krimzon Guard. The events of Daxter begin. Two years later, it's shown that Jak has been a test subject for Baron Praxis' "Dark Warrior" Program. The Baron decides that the dark eco tests on Jak are a failure, and he tells Errol to get rid of him. Errol tells Jak that he'll be back later, and the two leave. Daxter then shows up and rescues Jak, and Daxter briefly sees how much the dark eco has affected Jak when he transforms and almost attacks his own friend. They escape the Krimzon Guard Fortress. Once outside, they meet Kor, Tess and Torn, who are part of The Underground movement whose aim is to overthrow Baron Praxis and put the true heir, a young child, on the throne. After proving his worth, Torn sends Jak to the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon where he meets Krew and Sig, who tell Jak that Haven City is in a war with an alien race called the Metal Heads. It is found out that Baron Praxis is working with the Metal Heads to stay on the Throne. Later they meet Vin, a paranoid scientist; and Ashelin, Baron Praxis's Daughter who is actually on the Underground's side. Just after finding out they are in the future, they find out that the Underground's leader, the Shadow, is actually a younger version of Samos. Before discovering he is a younger version, they are surprised that he does not recogonize them. The Kid is important because he can open The Tomb of Mar, which hides the Precursor Stone. Jak and Daxter locate the Tomb, but the Oracle says the boy is too young to face the tests of Manhood, so Jak and Daxter enter as the door shuts. After completing the tests, the duo enter the main room, which holds the Precursor Stone. They also learn that the Metal Heads were responsible for destroying the Precursors. Baron Praxis arrives and tells Jak that he will take the Stone. Despite Jak's efforts, Praxis manages to escape with it. Back at the Hideout, Torn reveals that he sold the Underground out, to prevent Praxis from killing Ashelin. Jak and Daxter head to the Fortress to rescue Samos, Tess, and Elder Samos, who sends Jak to find the Life Seed, which will give Young Samos the power his older self has. Young Samos learns that Praxis plans to destroy the Stone, but unbeknownst to the Baron, this would destroy the Planet. Later, Keira reveals she has nearly completed a replica rift rider, but is missing two pieces--the Heart of Mar, and the Time Map. Jak runs the class one race against Errol, and in a fit of fury, Praxis decides to have Jak killed. Errol charges by on his racer, attempting to kill Jak, but collides into a stack of eco barrels, supposedly dying in the explosion (later it is shown that he survived in Jak 3). Jak wins entrance to the Palace by winning the race. At the Palace, Ashelin reveals that Krew is building something for the Baron at a secret weapons factory. Jak and Daxter proceed to the Factory, and Krew reveals the Piercer Bomb, which can destroy the Precursor Stone and the Metal Head Nest. Though soon defeated, Krew manages to activate the bomb, but Jak and Daxter escape with Ashelin only to discover that the Metal Heads have breached Haven City. Jak and Daxter head to help Sig in a fight against some Metal Heads, and it appears that Sig dies in the battle. Vin communicates that Kor sabotaged the Shield wall, and is immediately cut off as Metal Heads invade the Power Room. Meeting at the city construction site, Jak confronts Praxis, and is surprised to see Kor there. Kor tells Jak that in his darkest nightmares, he already knows. To everyone's horror, Kor takes on his true form, the Metal Head Leader. Kor demands the Precursor Stone, but Praxis refuses. Kor strikes him and his guards with an eco blast and sends them flying across the area. After Kor completes his transformation and flies off, Praxis shows the two heroes a second Piercer Bomb hiding the Precursor Stone. He dies, and Daxter recovers the Stone. Heading to the Metal Head Nest, Jak and Daxter face Kor, learning he has both the Kid and the Rift Ring. Kor then reveals that the Boy is Jak. Sent to the Past to grow up and gain the skills to face Kor, the Dark Eco in the other means that the older, teenage Jak cannot activate the Precursor Stone (which is, we find, the last Precursor Egg), though Young Jak can still can activate it and release the Precursor entity inside. After a climactic battle, the Metal Head Leader attempts to flee through the Ring. Kor crashes into it, severing his Head and damaging the ring. Young Jak touches the Stone, to release a Precursor, who departs through the disintegrating ring. Keira and the Two Samoses arrive with the Rift Rider, which is used to send Young Jak and Young Samos to the Past. As the Rider departs through the Gate, Samos remarks, "It's funny, the boy won't remember any of this." Jak shakes his head and replies, " No, I do remember the light..." The group celebrates victory at Krew's old place, which Daxter takes over for himself and remakes into "The Naughty Ottsel". Sig shows up, having survived his seemingly final battle with the Metal Heads, and Samos says that the group should remember Vin and all the others who gave their lives. Reception Jak II received generally positive reviews from critics. It won Editor's Choice from IGN and GameSpot, was nominated for Best PlayStation 2 Game by GameSpot and received aggregate scores of 87/100 on MetaCritic and 88% on Game Rankings. Some people have complained slightly about the game's difficulty, though there are numerous difficulty settings. Jak II: Renegade, in the Official Playstation 2 Australia Magazine, they voted it the Best Platformer Game Ever when it came out.(Verification Needed) Jak II was added to Sony's Greatest Hits lineup on September 8, 2004, signifying at least 400,000 copies sold in its first 11 months. Bosses Baron Praxis Octobot (Site of battle: Haven Palace) Tanker Ship (Site of battle: Drill Platform) Baron Praxis (Site of battle: Tomb of Mar) Krew- (Site of battle: Weapons Factory) Metal Kor- (Site of battle: Metal Head Nest) Eco available Green Eco (In the form of health- packs, found in krimzon guard boxes) Dark Eco (Which enables Jak to transform into Dark Jak) Other related pages Snorkel tooth